Description :
This book covers the theory and methodology of public economics; presents a historical and theoretical overview of the public sector; and discusses such topics as departures from efficiency (including imperfect competition and asymmetric information), issues in political economy, equity, taxation, fiscal federalism, and tax competition among independent jurisdictions. Suggestions for further reading, from classic papers to recent research, appear in each chapter, as do exercises. The mathematics has been kept to a minimum without sacrificing intellectual rigour; the book remains analytical rather than discursive.
This second edition has been thoroughly updated throughout. It offers new chapters on behavioural economics, limits to redistribution, international taxation, cost-benefit analysis, and the economics of climate policy. Additional exercises have been added and many sections revised in response to feedback received for the first edition.
“The second edition of Intermediate Public Economics provides a comprehensive introduction to public economic theory. It augments crystal-clear coverage of traditional core topics with state-of-the-art presentations on timely and active research areas such as behavioral economics, climate change, and fiscal competition. Well-prepared undergraduates as well as graduate students will find this volume an outstanding starting point for their study of public economics.”
—James Poterba, Mitsui Professor of Economics, MIT
Praise for the first edition
“Here, at last, is a text that methodically unites the traditional normative principles of public economics with the recent emphases on positive approaches to government behavior and on imperfect information as a source of both market and government failure. The material is accessible to students and gives a balanced and well-informed view of the field.”
—Robin Boadway, Queen’s University, Canada
“This is the textbook that public economists have been waiting for. Hindriks and Myles present an up-to-date look at the core material in public finance, welfare economics, and collective choice theory, and delve into a number of areas of recent research. Without sacrificing formal theory, the authors present the material in a way that is well motivated, policy relevant, and a pleasure to read. Suitable for any senior undergraduate or first graduate course, this book merits serious consideration by every instructor in the field.”
—Michael Smart, Department of Economics, University of Toronto
AARON CHATTERJI
